The Contract
by Astarate
Summary: Annabeth wants to live a normal life but doesn't want to abandon her responsibilities. Percy is not the best social person but in order to get what he wants he offers Annabeth a contract that gives her what she needs in order to carry out her responsibility. One's wish is to be normal the other's is to be successful. Can they tolerate each other or would they break the contract?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A world where people were divided in three sections can be deadly when two of them are in war. That is right, the world was divided into three sections- Clevers, Goods, and the Gifteds. And two of them were in war. The clever and the good.

The war was cruel and rough and many lives were lost. The Gifted, although there numbers were superlatively less tried to suppress the situation but the war dragged on. Soon young men were sent to the battle fields to die and women were legally sold in the markets from both warring sections for the leisure of the soldiers and this was the time that a large number of illegitimate children were born. No one knew their parentage, weather they were clever, good or gifted.

As these children were born in the time of war their section was named Braves.

As the war made young students of clever and good fight and almost kill each other the situation started to get worse. After all the Clevers had attacked the Goods first and this gave the Goods an official right to annihilate the other section.

But our story starts at the seeming end of the war, when a certain blonde haired and grey eyed Brave sectioned girl shielded a Clever blonde haired blue eyed boy from getting killed by a mob of goods in their high school. It all starts from the day the girl forms her alliance and reforms the country and forms a new government. It all begins from the moment she is crowned the new ruler of the Clevers and Goods.

It all starts with a fairly handsome and the heir to the second richest man in the world, a boy with dreamy blue-green eyes and messy raven black hair, taking a special interest in the new ruler of the combined Clever-Good nation. The boy turns to his father and grins as he says, "Father, I know how to make our company the richest in the world now. Count on it."

His father looks worriedly at him and says,"Not every thing is business my boy! And children of your age call their fathers dad! Who taught you to be so formal?!"

The boy just looks at his father with amused eyes. What spitting image of his father he was!

"I'll make you proud... father."

Poseidon sighed at his twisted son and thought- I have to change his nanny. She is sure to be the one who is poisoning my son's young and tender mind!

His son gazed down at the roads of the good city through the glass window of his suite.

He had to make his dad's company the best. That's all that mattered to him after all. And the new and young ruler of the Alliance- as she calls the new Clever-Good country- is going to be his queen in this game of chess. A useful and (he had to admit) beautiful queen. He just has to make the right moves now.

But before their complicated story begins let us not forget that there is still bad blood between the Clevers and the Goods.

**Guys this is my new story! What do you people say? should I write this further?**


	2. Chapter 1

Annabeth Fredrick Chase, the new president of the Alliance Republic was getting ready for her first meeting with the two leaders of the Goods and the Clevers. Her life was becoming a hectic mess. She had never ever imagined herself as the President of some new born nation. But here she was, struggling to pull the zip of her violet pencil skirt.

At least her two best friends are in her party.

Thalia Grace. The daughter of the richest man in the world, a Gifted girl. People wonder why she got herself in this mess anyway. But Thalia is not your usual Gifted person. She is snarky, friendly, strong and gothic. Unlike her brother Jason Grace, she is steadily afraid of heights and is not the heir to her dad's, _the _Zeus's, company. She says it is because she is not disciplined enough. Annabeth couldn't argue with that. You just have to glance at her brother to tell that he is well behaved and a neat freak. She is considered as the new President's right hand and is also the defence minister.

Then there is her other best friend... the reason for the foundation of the Alliance.

Luke Castellan. The Clever boy she had saved a few months ago in her last year of high school. Popular belief says that she had saved Luke because of her immense sense of duty towards the well fare of all human beings irrespective of their sections. Well Annabeth did want everyone's well fare but that wasn't the reason that had made her jump in between Luke and that group of blood thirsty Goods who had earlier left a nasty scar on his cheek. It was Annabeth's feelings for the boy. Though it had been only a huge crush, Annabeth had felt propelled at that moment to save Luke. He was an orphan just like her and was known to be her left hand. He was her public health minister officially and was very efficient in his responsibilities.

And then there was her.

Annabeth Chase. A brave girl from the least respected section of the four. The founder of the Alliance party and the President of the Alliance Republic. There wasn't anything else to describe her. She was just... caught up in a tornado as she would like to think.

Finally Annabeth successfully pulled on her violet coat over her white buttoned down shirt, which was neatly tucked in her skirt, and made her way towards the door. On her way she caught her reflection on the mirror and stopped in her tracks.

What was she thinking? She couldn't walk around as a freaking President with her hair flying open. They were golden and waist long but letting them loose was very unprofessional after all. She grabbed a black rubber-band from her dressing table and looked around her temporary suite room before shutting the door behind her,

In few weeks she would be transported to the President's villa where she had practically ordered Thalia and Luke to stay along with her. She was not afraid of her new role as the President but she was afraid for her sanity. She walked down the stairs and knocked on the private studio of the hotel were they had agreed to hold the meeting. Two of Annabeth's body guards followed her inside. There was no one in the yellow walled room except for an aquarium, a center table with magazines and three velvet sofas.

She was early. She picked up a fan club magazine from the center table and flipped through it's pages to pass her time. She stopped at the blurry image of A boy of her age with messed up black hair and flashing sea-green eyes. He was walking out of the main office of Poseidon's Trident, the second richest company of the world. He was wearing black suit pants and a white button down shirt with it's color unbuttoned and the tie hanging loose around his neck. He was running away from a crowd of paparazzi with black his coat tucked in his arms.

Poor guy. Must have walked out of a meeting. The article below read-

**_Exclusive! Perseus Jackson spotted outside his dad's office._**

_Perseus Poseidon Jackson, the man who has never been touched by another women was spotted at 3: 57pm near-_

Annabeth stopped reading and instead stared at Perseus's picture. In her school her was called the out-of-reach prince. He was not a fan of media. That was one of the reasons why the media loved him. His photos were so scarce, that one time a girl had captured the picture of his half face while he was shutting the door of his black mercedes. She has made a good fortune out of selling it to Rachel Elizabeth Dare. A Good sectioned girl and the daughter of a rich business man.

Anyway, Perseus was known for his business strategies which had made the distance between the world's richest (Zeus's company) and World's second richest (Poseidon's company) very narrow.

Annabeth stared harder at his picture. Though it was blurred she could tell that he was fair-skinned and tall. He was the type of person who should be running a country but he was one of the few Gifted after all. He did an extremely good job of minding his business anyway.

The door opened and two buffy men walked in. Mr Gabe Ugliano, the representative of the Clevers made himself at home first. Annabeth wondered why he was a Clever. She could bet her life on it and say that the kindergarten kid who used to live next to her when she was not the President was far more clever than the alcoholic man who was sitting in front of her.

Then came Mr Paul Blofis of the Goods. Annabeth would have preferred to put him in the dumb section if there had been any but she kept her thoughts to herself and motioned for them to start.

They dutifully started bickering and throwing insults at one another.

* * *

Annabeth's shut her suite's door and laid her back on it and pinched the bridge of her nose and took deep breaths to get rid of her exhaustion.

"Didn't go that well now did it?"

Annabeth looked up to find her best friend and defence minister smiling at her from near the window pane.

"Could have been worse." She slumped down on the bed as Thalia handed her two papers. One was to sanction money for the people's security and the other one was for her security upgrade.

"Make a new draft. Put both streams of money for the people's cause." Annabeth sat up sternly and looked at Thalia.

"Don't be ridicules Annie! You could be killed any moment without a proper upgrade in you security devices and then the country would fall into chaos as the two sections would blame each other for your death!" Thalia almost yelled at the blonde who just shook her head stubbornly.

"I can have an upgrade next time. The recent terrorist activities have increased. I want no civilians to die. Is that clear Ms. Grace?"

Thalia looked pointedly at Annabeth but agreed none the less and stormed out of the door and banged it behind her.

* * *

A few months later, after the security upgrade of the citizens, Annabeth was on cloud nine. She had kissed Luke! She was going to talk to him about it after her dinner with Mr. Hades, The third richest man in the world.

There was a certain bounce of joy in her steps as she walked towards the end of the lobby. Her five body guards where watching her and everything else very carefully.

"Let's take the stairs buys. The elevator is going to take forever." Annabeth skipped down the stairs and hurried towards the ground floor. She stopped on the next floor. Thalia and Luke had their separate suites on this floor. Annabeth contemplated the idea of seeing Luke before going to the dinner and finally gave in to her temptation. It was becoming harder and harder for her to keep away from Luke after their magical kiss after all.

She knocked on his door but found that it was open. She didn't bother to ring the calling bell and just entered his suite. The living room was a mess and what surprised Annabeth the most was a lacy thong lying on the yellow couch near the television.

She tiptoed her way towards his bed room and asked the body guards to stand outside the door but on their protest she let Charles Bekendorf, her high school friend, to accompany her inside but she asked him to be quiet. He sure was quiet like a shadow. She pushed the door to Luke's bedroom open and almost screamed.

He was sleeping on his bed with another girl, whom she recognized as Drew Tanaka. They were naked and there legs were tangled together. Annabeth sniffed the air but she couldn't smell any alcohol. That only meant that Luke had been sober when he was with Drew so there was no way Drew could have tricked him. Tears rained down her cheek as she made her way towards the door and out of Luke's suite. She ran down the stairs, crying like a little heart broken girl which she was at that moment.

She jumped in her silver lamborghini and barked at her body guards to not follow her and that those were her personal orders and drove away. This was not good. Thalia would surely beat her up for driving with a fogged mind and for going out without her body guards. She tried slowly pushed her car to the side of the busy high way and pressed the break.

The car did not stop. She slammed the brakes again and again but it just kept on moving. Someone had cut her brakes. Panic rose inside her chest as she tried again and again to stop the car but it did not even budge. An idea crossed her mind. She just had to drive till the diesel burns off! And she could call Thalia! She fished through her pocket to search for her mobile and averted her eyes away from the road for a second.

That was her biggest mistake because the next moment, her lamborghini ran into a heavy loaded truck.

* * *

_3 months later_

"Mr Jackson! President Chase has woken up from her coma and has full memory of her past. She has healed mostly according to her doctors and is going to be discharged in three weeks." Hazel Leveque Di Anjelo, his cousin and friend and PA updated him on his chess queen's latest recovery.

He smiled at her. Though she was Hades's daughter she was illegitimate and thus Hades's had kicked her out of his will. But alas! Hazel was still making a fortune out of working for Percy. She was a Gifted just like him after all.

"Perfect. You may leave Haze" Percy smile at his cousin as she rolled her eyes at her nick name but walked out of there anyway. Frank Zhang, Percy's personal body guard and friend watched her leave but then snapped back to attention.

Percy sighed and leaned back on his rolling office chair and rolled around for a few minutes. It was good that the President had been targeted. Now she would wake and see the latest tension between the Goods and Clevers and would think about her security. But being the type of soft hearted person she is, according to him, she would still insist on upgrading the public security by using the taxes collected for upgrading her own.

It was perfect for him. He would toss her a proposal which she would of course sign given the situation that she knows that there would be a blood bath between the Goods and the Clevers if she is dead, she would agree to his proposal and then he would gain monopoly in certain sectors of business in the Alliance and would finally become the richest, surpassing Zeus.

He already knew what would bind the proposal...

He moved the black queen piece two steps forwards on the chess board and cracked a smile.

"Check mate father."

"Woof!" cheered Mrs. O Leary his wonderful bull dog. Percy patted her head and raised his wine-glass of water and tilted it towards his father and smile hi trade mark lopsided grin.

"What's new in that. I wish you called me 'dad'!" Grumbled Poseidon as his son started at the view of the hills through the glass window of his suite and Poseidon wondered again, 'Even though I changed his nanny he is still evil!'

**How was this for a first chapter guys? Please tell me if I should continue!**


	3. Chapter 2

Annabeth had a splitting head ache the moment she woke up.

"Thank god! Oh My God! Nurse call the doctor! President Chase is awake."

Oh right she was the new President of the Alliance Republic and what not. She tried to sit up but a jabbing pain in her neck put her back on her pillow. Where was she?

A doctor in his mid twenties walked in with a clip board in his grasp and a stethoscope around his neck. His white coat was spotless and Annabeth wondered if he dry cleaned it every now and then. Annabeth looked up. That was the only direction she could face anyway, as there a big gauge around her neck. Her muscles felt soar and she thought about the person who had called the nurse and the doctor. Thalia.

"Thals... you there?" Annabeth was surprised as her voice had come out as a croak.

"Yes I am right here sweaty! Everything is fine." Her voice was a bit muffled. Annabeth wondered if she was sobbing.

"Thalia is everything alright? And where am I?" Her crocky voice was giving a way to her head-ache but she wanted to know what was going on.

Then it hit her. It hit her harder than she had intended to. Luke had kissed her, but then she had caught him in bed with his personal secretory Drew Tanaka.

"Do you know who you are Miss?" The doctor questioned.

Annabeth frowned before answering, "Of course I do. I am Annabeth Chase of Brave section and President of Alliance Republic. What kind of a question was that?"

"Ms Grace she is perfectly sound now. We have to run all the tests again as formality and then you can take her home after three weeks." The doctor had a high authoritative voice which Annabeth found soothing yet irritating.

"Discharged in three weeks? Am I in a hospital?"

After seeing Luke like that she had stupidly run up to her car. The brakes were not working. Then there was a large heavy truck. It hit her. Oh!

"Yes President Chase. You have been in coma for three months."

Annabeth tried to sit up again. But her neck pushed her down. Three whole months! She could bet her life that the Goods and the Clevers had started yet another war.

"It is okay Annabeth. Everything is alright. We didn't tell the media that your brakes were defective. So no one has anything to blame anyone else on. Though our investigation has been futile till date we are still searching. I have doubled the number of body guards you are supposed to carry and you are not going to throw away the money sanctioned for your security this time."

Annabeth tried to shake her head but failed so instead she said aloud, "Doctor please can you leave us in private. I believe this is a sound proof room... right?"

"Yes Miss President and I'll take my leave." With that the doctor was gone.

"Thals the security money would be invested completely on People's purposes and I don't want any arguments in that." She said sternly.

Tahlia opened her mouth to argue but shut it up again. She could not win this argument. Annabeth knew the risks anyway.

"But you have a lot to explain young lady!" Thalia sat on the sofa across from Annabeth's hospital bed and glared daggers at her best friend.

Annabeth sighed and launched into her story. By the end of it she was in tears again. Her brain was urging her to do something stupid again. She liked Luke more than she had thought she did. Now that she had seen him like that, especially after he had kissed her, thinking about him made her heart crumble again and again.

As if on que, the door swung open and Luke walked in with flashing blue eyes. Thalia stood up and left the room. Great, thought Annabeth. Now she had to deal with him alone.

"What were you thinking? Jumping into your car without letting the guards check it first and then not taking one of them with you on your way!" He was yelling at her even though it was partly his fault that she was bed ridden right then. Annabeth wanted to look at him, despite the fact that he had hurt her. She wanted to tell him what she had seen. Then she wanted him to say that there was a reason and it was her whom he really liked. She wanted him to sit by her bed and grab her hand and press it to his lips then kiss her then-

No! She couldn't think like that. She wasn't a high school girl anymore. She was nineteen and was being home tutored for college along with Thalia , Luke and Jason (Thalia's little brother). So naturally Annabeth thought that she had to say something.

"I'll be more vigilant next time Luke." She was glad to hear her stern voice again and could have sighed if she had known it wouldn't hurt.

"Annabeth-" Luke took a step forwards and her heart-beat sure rose up. The stupid beep just had to go on so frantically.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to call the doctor?" He asked her, concern dripping in his voice.

For some reason she felt sick to her stomach, which could also had been due to the fact that she wasn't really all that healthy at that moment. Luke was still her friend anyway right? But why did he kiss her that day on the elevator. She was minding her own business and reading_ All Quiet on the Western Front _when Luke stepped in the elevator. After they had made small talk on matters like the weather and the public health, Luke had just kissed her out of blue and when the elevator had opened up to his floor he had went away, leaving a completely baffled Annabeth behind.

Annabeth decided that it was now or never,

"Why did you kiss me?" The blood would have rushed to her cheeks if she had had enough energy.

"Because I like you." Luke replied in a gentler tone.

"Yeah right!" Annabeth replied sarcastically with a bitter laugh, even though the effort hurt her she did not show it.

"What do you mean?" Luke had the nerve to sound confused!

"You kiss me because you like me right? So why did you hook up with Drew? Don't tell me that you were drunk because I know you weren't." She added the last part because she was sure that was the first excuse that must have popped in his head.

"I-I-" Luke stammered uselessly when a nurse came in and shooed him out of there saying that Annabeth needed rest.

Annabeth stayed awake for a while and listened to the steady hum of her own heart beat and then drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the day Annabeth had woken up. The matters between the Goods and the Clevers were cool for some unexplainable reason. No one knew how the President had got her self in coma except for the defence minister and Perseus Jackson and his informer.

Percy was having a hard day. He was planing on how to enter Annabeth's room in the hospital without getting mobbed by reporters. He had to go in disguise. But then he wouldn't be able to take his body guards with him which was a risk he could not take. Then what should he do! Meeting her in the hospital was his best bait as it would draw less attention. Bait!

Percy lifted his receiver from the side of his bed and dialed Hazel's number.

"Hey Percy." She greeted him rather sweetly.

"Hazel tell the media that Percy Jackson is going to the cinema hall down town and send some one with black hair and goggles to the cinema in my dad's Mercedes. Ask Frank and Chris to meet me in five in disguise."

"All right Percy." With that she hung up. One thing He liked about Hazel was that she never asked questions, she just did what ever he asked her to do and moved on with it. Anyway... he still had to put on a disguise though. He pulled on his blue casual jeans and his red and blue checked hoodie over his white T-shirt. He looked at himself over the mirror and smirked. He looked like any other regular nineteen year old college going kid. He pulled on a black baseball's cap and put on large ray-bans to cover his eyes. He didn't want to use wigs and contacts as he wanted the President to recognize him. Finally he pulled on his grey sneakers and waited for Frank and Chris.

They nodded at him once they had arrived and then they set off towards his favorite black Mercedes. Mrs O Leary barked at him and licked his hand. He crouched on his knees and patted her head while saying, "Sorry girl. Dogs are not allowed in the hospital. I hope you understand." Mrs O Leary waved her tail and went away towards her kennel.

Percy sighed and followed Frank to his car. The rumor about him being untouched was false after all. He was in Love with Mrs O Leary who had licked him plenty of times. But he guessed only the human girls counted.

They reached the city hospital in twenty minutes and he was out of his car and inside the mechanic door of the hospital in a flash. His plan of diverting the paparazzi had worked wonders. He looked at the receptionist and motioned for Chris to ask her where President Chase was.

He smiled to himself and pushed his goggles up his nose.

He was going to win this round of chess.

* * *

Annabeth was glad that in those two weeks her neck gauge had come off. Now she could see the fresh flowers on her bed-side tables and the flat screen T.V just in front of her bed, the one she dreaded to operate. Even though everything was calm and cool, even in her absence, she was afraid that the moment she would turn a news channel on the Alliance Republic would fall apart.

She had to be more careful. Especially, she had to stop thinking about Luke if she wanted to avoid being killed and starting a war in her wake. She needed better security that much she understood. But the country was young and needed the latest and most advanced equipment for it's protection and that could come in smoothly if she added her own security allowance to the nation's.

She sighed and picked a daisy from the flower pot and brought it under her nose. It smelled sweet and nice. She stayed like that for a moment and decided to turn the T.V on after all. The first thing that popped up was a news channel. Annabeth dreaded something like_ 'five Goods killed two Clevers' _to flash on the channel but instead all the reporters and people were going crazy outside a cinema hall.

Annabeth squinted and tried to remember what new movies had released recently. Nothing came to her mind. Of course! After three months of sleeping soundly how could she expect herself to remember the name of the latest movie.

But the commotion was not because of the movie. It was because of Perseus Jackson visiting a public cinema hall for the first time in his life. Even though he was sitting in the V.I.P box, it looked as if he was sitting between a crowd of his personal fans. He was a Gifted one after all and people were crazy about the heirs of the big three. that is, Jason Grace of Zeus's Bolt (Thalia was not her dad's favorite and when she had joined the Alliance her chances of becoming a Gifted heir blew away.),Perseus Jackson of Poseidon's Trident. (Only son of Poseidon) and Bianca Di Anjelo of Hades's Shadow (As Hazel Levesque was out willed and Nico had chosen to become a movie star).

As their fathers were brothers they were the golden trio of cousins. They always stood together in mass events and photo shoots with Bianca in the middle and Jason and Perseus on either sides of her. So Annabeth knew in an instant that the guy in the V.I.P box wasn't Perseus as he was in public without his cousins. The boy in the cinema hall was there to divert the attention of the media as Perseus was known to hate their guts.

But why?, wondered Annabeth.

Just then the door to her room opened and a tall, fair guy in jeans, hoddie and T-shirt with a base-ball cap walked in. His hair was raven black and his huge ray-bans were covering every portion of his face above his half nose and mid cheeks. He had a confident lopsided smirk on his face as he removed his base ball cap and goggles.

The ocean. His sea-green eyes reminded Annabeth of the beautiful ocean.

She blinked twice (She was afraid that her time on earth was up and an angle had come down to take her with him!) and realized who was standing in front of her.

"Hello. Nice to meet you I am Percy... Princess."

His voice was light and amused.

Did he just call Annabeth Princess?

**Please review! They inspire me soooo much to write more!**


	4. Chapter 3

Annabeth couldn't find words to describe the young man with black hair and swilling sea-green eyes in front of her. All she could think about was how right all those magazines had been when they described him as a man born with the charms of heaven. He was perfectly handsome and Annabeth wondered how on earth he was untouched with those looks. It was not that she was falling for him (or so she thought ), she was just stating a fact. According to the media Perseus Jackson had never been even kissed. Annabeth wondered till what extent that was true. After all there were only thirty-seven original photos of Perseus Jackson in Google Images and if she had been the old poor Annabeth from Brave section she would have snapped a picture of The Perseus Jackson and sold it for thousands of bucks. But now she was President Annabeth Fredrick Chase of the Alliance republic. She had to look confident and even a little bit, if possible, arrogant.

Perseus sauntered to the bench beside her bed and sat on it with a develish smirk.

"Chris guard the door from outside, Frank from inside." His voice was smooth and it was obvious from his tone that he didn't expect his body guards to disobey him.

Then he turned his waging eyes at Annabeth and smirked wider before saying, "How are you Princess?"

Princess? Why would he call her that again? Did he call every girl he met 'Princess'?

"Perseus Jackson." Annabeth regarded him with calculating stormy grey eyes. Mostly people would look away or turn away or run away from her when she did that but Perseus didn't even cringe, that surprised Annabeth but she didn't show it, "Shouldn't you be watching the latest movie from the V.I.P box right now?"

Percy chuckled a little and then said, "So you are interested in movies? Not that I expected you to be all old and mature beyond age but still... well I guess that's how you are Princess."

Annabeth felt angry as she wanted to shout at his face that he had no idea of who she really was. Nobody did, maybe Thalia did, a little, but no one else knew her as her old self. Even though Luke had been in the same class room as hers for ages, he had only noticed her for the first time when she had jumped in and saved him.

Even though she had to admit that using a decoy and alerting the media purposefully to fool them was clever. Perseus should have been in Clever section. He deserved it more that Gabe Ugliano did.

"President Annabeth Frederick Chase." She said coolly while not breaking their eye lock.

"Percy." Annabeth wondered if he was just trying to be cool.

"Don't look like that Princess. I am only introducing myself lightly because I have a proposal for you... which I am sure you would want to listen to."

What could a Gifted want to offer her? Their condolence? She surly didn't want any of that.

"I would finance your personal security costs and in return..."

He let it sink in. He was trying to say that he could lift the burden of starting another civil war by dying from her shoulders. She would have smiled broadly and hugged him if there wasn't a catch to his proposal. Percy was not selfless, according to his business profile. Annabeth could only guess what he wanted in return.

"You will allow me monopoly over the water resources of Alliance Republic." He ended it with a small fake smile even though his eyes made it clear that he was amused. Annabeth frowned at the hollowness of the deal.

"Don't you think it's a little hollow? How are you supposed to bind this deal and make sure that I give you your monopoly because as you are offering me this deal you should be the one to comply first. And let's not forget the fact that I could destroy many people's occupation by giving you monopoly over the waters of the Alliance." Annabeth looked pointedly at those green orbs and waited for him to respond.

"All the people you would be rendering jobless due to this proposal would be given five shares of Poseidon's Trident each." His fake smile was gone and he was looking quite seriously and with all his attention at her. Annabeth felt a light feeling at the pit of her stomach, it was as if she was loosing gravity just by being looked intently by that Gifted lad.

"Only five each?" She asked skeptically while inspecting a fruits basket that she had never noticed before.

"There are eight companies who you would be dislocating and even if you have one share of a company like that of Poseidon's Trident, you would feel yourself blessed." The corners of his mouth twisted a little as he noticed the brewing rage in her eyes. Of course he was a trillion times more rich than she could ever be but she was never going to admit that even though it was trivial. Losing any arguments to this guy just seemed unacceptable to Annabeth.

"So what's the catch? You surely are not going to trust my true and faithful promises." Annabeth asked sarcastically.

"Marry me Princess."

* * *

Annabeth wanted to scream. Percy had proposed to give her just what she wanted as a responsible President. But even though she loved her country, she was not ready to get married yet! She was only nineteen! But she wanted her country to have the best security too! And she would surely die if she continued with the meager personal security she had. The salary of the President was good but she couldn't afford self security with it, especially in a new-born country. She could go corrupted and earn zillions but then she would despise herself for ever.

Percy had given her time till she was discharged from the hospital, which was tomorrow. She could almost walk by her self now-a-days, so she gripped the bed railing hard and stood up. Her leg bones were not that severely injured in the accident. Just her shoulders to be exact. She had a sling keeping them both in place as she decided to take a walk.

Luke was going to take night watch on her with her body guards that day or so she was told. He was the only thing in her mind that was keeping her from nearly accepting Percy's offer. Nearly. What if he was sorry? What if he really liked her back? What if the thing with Drew was just a result of a week moment? She stepped out side her room and turned left. The corridors were tiled and the walls had old paintings hanging on them. She heard a little moan from a ward and stopped in her tracks. What was that? Was any patient having an unpredicted fever or something, wondered Annabeth.

She slowly tip-toed her way towards the wards and cracked the door open slightly and peaked inside. Luke was at it again and this time the girl was not Drew. It was someone else. Tears stung her eyes as she hurriedly made her way out and shut the door and turned away.

Luke wasn't sorry about anything and felt nothing for her! Well at least that being confirmed Annabeth had one less thing to consider regarding the proposal. Thalia had freaked out when she had mentioned this to her. She had said that she would tell her Aunt Sally immediately about this but then she had remembered that her Aunt Sally was dead. Annabeth had felt a pinch of sadness in that news. According to Thalia, Sally Jackson could be classified as the loveliest mother on earth. Not knowing your mother was one thing but knowing them and then losing them along with their love seemed some what harsh and cruel to Annabeth. For the first time in that week she had felt for Percy. Even if it had been about a sore loss... it was something none the less.

Annabeth shut the door behind her and cried herself to sleep as the jabbing pain in her shoulder blade was adding to her broken heart.

* * *

Next morning, Annabeth woke up early and washed up as quickly as she could. The morning air was chilly but she managed to pull on some thin black leggins and a plain long grey T-shirt. The door to her room opened after a few hours and Luke stepped in.

"Are you okay... Annie?" Luke's voice was careful.

Annabeth instantly got irritated by Luke's show of concern. Seeing him last night with that girl had made sure that he just wanted Annabeth for fun, even if he wanted her in the first place. Annabeth whipped around and glared at him before walking out of the room. She had already got her discharge paper's signed so there was nothing that was stopping her now.

Except for Luke's hands that pinned to her hips and made her turn around to face him. She would have admired his smooth skin and touch a few months ago but now they felt venomous.

"What's the rush darling?" His voice slurred beneath her ear, sending a bad chill down her spine.

"Don't call me that and release me!" She snapped at him and tried to get rid of his hands.

"I know you like me Hun." The words of endearment he used for her sickened her.

"I did. There is a big difference now as I saw your little pleasure moment yesterday." Annabeth fidgeted to get rid of his hand but to no avail. She felt like calling out for help but she couldn't look week in front of Luke.

"That poor nurse needed to loosen up a little so I just helped her out a bit. You are jealous? You know you can't kill your long crush for me in two days." His smirked dirtily at her and her stomach crunched in disgust. She wasn't jealous but he was right. She still crushed over him but that crush had suffered a huge downfall so now it was negligible.

Would he leave her alone if she told him about that?

"Leave me alone Luke I am engaged. Not officially yet but I am." Annabeth made sure that she looked determined enough to persuade Luke. Turned out it wasn't so hard after all.

"What! To who!? I swear to gods it I find this guy I'll-"

"Let go of me." Annabeth said calmly but the threat and danger were still linked in her voice.

"To whom?" Luke looked straight into her eyes and loosened his grip on her.

Annabeth took a deep breath and said,

"Perseus Poseidon Jackson."

Luke's hand slid from her hips and landed on either sides of him. Annabeth smiled to herself and walked out of there.

She was ready to get married to the million dollar man.

* * *

Percy moved from weight to weight in his perfect gym as his mind was occupied by the Alliance's President. He had moved from the hotel suite to his father's guesthouse and the gym there was huge and had every exercising machine and tool that someone could look for. He got up from the weighing seat and ordered a cup of lemonade. The girl who came to deliver it tried to touch his upper arms but he got up from his seat and crossed the length towards the pool without even turning back to look at her.

It had already been a week. Today was Annabeth's last day for accepting his proposal. Though his proposal was scratch less and perfect and he had calculated that there was a very little chance that she would reject it, he felt uneasy about it. He didn't want Annabeth to quit on him too. Which was strange.

His phone rang and he instantly expected it to be Annabeth. But it was jut good old Nico.

"Hey Nic! How's it going?" He tried to sound as casual as possible.

"New movies and scandals and stuff. What's wrong with you?" His voice was cool as usual but before Percy could answer, Hazel was beside the pool with the house phone in her hand.

"It's the President." Hazel's voice was a bit bubbly as she knew of his plan and was excited to see if Percy had got himself a bride.

"Wait a second Nico I'll call you back." Percy hung up on Nico and took a deep breath before taking the phone from Hazel and dismissing her.

"Hello Princess! What did you think?" Percy hadn't meant to call the young President Princess but with her stormy eyes and golden, waist-length curls she looked exactly like one to him.

"I accept your proposal." She said in a small voice but it was loud enough for Percy to listen to. He didn't plan the next thing that happened. He was so surprised that he took a step forward blindly and slipped and fell into the swimming pool.

He broke the surface and spoke into his god gifted (ahem) water proof house phone.

"Good. Let's meet up and decide what to do soon. But first thing tomorrow we would be signing up for court marriage. I want to execute the proposal as soon as possible." Percy made sure to not sound like a water jagged fish but from the giggle that he heard from the other end of the line told him he had already failed in that.

"Okay Jackson." Percy was glad that the President was not able to see his blush because even Percy had yet to see that.

"Good night Princess." Annabeth didn't even protest on being called Princess by him, like that was alright with her, which made Percy smile a little in spite of himself.

"Good night... Percy."

**Hey guys did you like this chapter? Please drop a review it makes my day!**


	5. Chapter 4

Annabeth sighed loudly as she walked out of the court room. Percy came a moment later with his huge ray-bans and white T-shirt on black jeans. He was looking heart breakingly handsome as usual. Annabeth had asked him why they weren't in disguise earlier and Percy had replied with a, "Some hints for the media."

She had to wait for hours for getting legally married to a person she had met in person only a few weeks ago and now she was anticipating a spark of giddiness or silliness which she had thought new brides get when she was younger. But nothing like that happened. Actually the marriage didn't feel all that real to begin with. Annabeth had felt like it was just another official bill or law she was signing with the government seal on it. Government of Alliance. It was quite ironic according to Annabeth. Even though the Cevers and Goods would rip each other apart at the first opportunity they get, all the four sections were allowed to get married in any community or government court they liked.

Like that was going to happen.

Annabeth was dazzled by a sharp flash of camera. A familiar dabble of questions attacked her. The wrath of about a fifty paparazzi knocked her off her feet. If it had not been for Percy she would have sat with her butt on the floor while a thousand stupid photos of her would have been away. His firm hands gripped her shoulders and steadied her. It also gave a crackling feeling of warm electricity. Her stomach felt funny and she wondered if she had eaten anything unhealthy back in the court.

"Mr Jackson! What are you doing with President of alliance republic outside a court?"

"Is there any conflict between the Alliance Republic and the Trident company?"

"Are you two dating? Two big media figures!"

"What are you going to wear on your wedding?"

Annabeth didn't know what to make of those questions but they could answer the first two questions. Percy smiled his billion dollar lopsided smile and wound an arm around Annabeth's slender waist. Annabeth tried her best to not look electrocuted or surprised. He pulled her towards him so that her arm was touching his side chest. Annabeth could fell his toned muscles through his shirt thought they were not visible from outside. His heartbeat was a little unsteady but Annabeth shrug that off as his fear of media.

"We were signing some documents. You'll get the details tonight at the big three party. I hope you all are coming." His voice was pleasant but firm. And before more questions could b thrown at them, Frank and Bekendorf steered them clear and Annabeth and Percy moved towards Percy new black Rolls Royce. He claimed that his old car was flogged by reporters so deserved this new one even though he would have preferred a Ferrari S.P.A.

Annabeth wasn't all that into cars so she had just lamely complimented his new one and moved on with her life.

Percy dropped her by her hotel where Bekendorf quickly ushered her inside the main lobby. Annabeth turned back and saw that Percy was waving goodbye at her. Before she could think otherwise she found herself waving back at him with a huge grin plastered on her lips. Percy smiled back at her as nicely as she had and then rolled his window up before pulling out from the front of the hotel.

Bekendorf took his guard near the door. Now that this hotel had been upgraded with the latest security model, thanks to Percy, Annabeth was a free bird inside it. She could go anywhere and do anything. But she had to go to her room now to decide on her outfit for then big evening. Percy was going to propose her and she had only one option and that was to say yes.

She rolled her eyes and decided to put those thoughts out of her brain. Percy wasn't going to torture her to death or anything. In fact she doubted whether they would live in the same house after she moved to the President's villa. That saddened her a bit as she kind of sort of thought Percy was... a nice guy.

There was a knock on her door and Annabeth assumed it to be Thalia. So she opened the door in her pajamas and a white see-through white top on above her pitch black bra. The person at the door wasn't Thalia but it was Luke. Annabeth quickly shut the door on his face. Her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

She quickly pulled on a thick black T-shirt over her earlier clothes and pressed the turbo button on the A.C. as it was quite hot that day. It was definitely not a weather to wear two tops. She pushed the poor open to Luke's irritating knocks. He leaned by the door frame and took her in from toe to head. His eyes hid a bit of disappointment. Annabeth blushed again at the thought of what was disappointing him. Apparently, Luke like her body. That made her a bit girly but she swiftly remembered that he was not worth it and that she was already married... at least legally.

"How did it go? Was it okay?" Luke pressed and palm against her cheek and this time Annabeth was disappointed. She had expected her skin to react to her crushes touch. But his hands were just warm against her cheek... just like Thalia's would have been.

Annabeth gently pushed his hand away and looked him in the eye and said, "You don't have to worry about me Luke. Just look after your department properly. That would be enough."

Looks eyes morphed into what Annabeth could make out as sadness and regret.

"I always liked you Annabeth. I've my own ways of getting rid of all these stress. But if it were for you I would change my ways."

Annabeth's heart almost stopped. This wasn't the first time Luke had said something this nice to her but it was after a long time though. She could cancel her legal marriage as it was in it's pre-period where it could be dissolved without a divorce. She could break her contract with Percy and tell him that she was sorry that they were not good together or something. She could choose her happiness, specially when it was literally standing o her doorway.

But Annabeth didn't trust Luke completely and then there was the question of the impending civil war that would take place in Alliance Republic if she died. She needed Percy's security as much as he needed her authority. The thought they needed each other just for some materialistic thing and not for love made her think about Luke again. Percy would not ditch her. He had never even touched a woman in his life where as Luke had slept with centuries of them.

And just because she wanted to be happy she couldn't start a war. She hated Helen of troy for staring the Trojan War and she didn't want to follow her example in any case. She sighed and after what felt like hours she answered.

"It is too late Luke. Right now you are talking to Mrs. Annabeth Chase Jackson. I would expect a bit more respect from you next time." She was about to close the door again when Luke jarred the door with his foot and grabbed Annabeth by her waist. Percy's warm tingling touch was still there and the moment Luke touched her there it started to fade away slowly.

Annabeth didn't like that a bit. She pushed away Luke and judo flipped him on the corridor infront of her mega suite. He winced and cradled his right arm as he started to get up with a feverish furry.

"What's your problem Annabeth?"

"Just don't touch me!"

With that Annabeth shut the door to her suite on Luke's pretty face.

* * *

The party was a small gathering at first but then the crowd started to grow. Annabeth was sipping wine from a corner in the large open area where the three heirs of the big three industries were undergoing a mass media photo shoot. With Bianca Di Angelo in the middle of the boys. Her pale skin and long silky-brown hair went so well with her brown eyes that they made Annabeth jealous. She had always wanted dark hair. Bianca's strap-less, dark-blue dress hugged her chest but flowed out freely from down her waist and swept the floor. She looked deadly beautiful with her moon ear-rings and just the right amount of make-up.

Jason grace and Percy had identical black dress suits with white shirts. Only their tie colors matched their eyes, sky blue and sea-green respectively.

The feeling of mystery was in the air as Percy was going to announce something after the toast. After the photo session ended Percy walked towards Annabeth with a wide grin.

"Hey Princess." Percy came across her and handed her a glass of wine. They clinked the glasses and Annabeth tried to digest the queasy feeling that her stomach started to undergo the moment Percy called her princess.

"You enjoying the party?" Percy moved a bit closer to her. The air between them got hotter as he stood facing her. Their glasses touching.

"There are more important Presidents here so not all that many reporters have bothered me."

"But you are looking so... beautiful." His last words were barely a whisper and that was when Annabeth knew he wasn't stone cold sober. Not drunk but not all that sober either. But she knew he told her what he thought of her grey staples evening gown which had a mermaid's tail. She blushed to her feet and looked down. What was wrong with her stomach since this morning? She hoped someone could tell her.

She didn't expect a slender finger to roll a strand of her loose blonde hair playfully around. So when Percy did that she could only stare at her in disbelief.

Percy noticed her wide eyes and said in his defence, "You have great hair Princess."

That was enough to make her mind all sloppy and foggy.

"It is time to execute our plan." Percy whispered softly and before Annabeth could ask what it was he leaned down and pressed his lips softly against hers. Annabeth was sure something was majorly wrong with her stomach when it flipped over. She had kissed boys before but it had never behaved in that way. She should see a doctor..

Percy's eyebrow's contorted in concentration as he placed his hands lightly on either of Annabeth's hips, passing flares of electricity into her skin. Annabeth got the hint. He was asking her to guide him. She didn't know why he was doing it if he just wanted attention then he could go up to the stage and propose her already but Annabeth complied to his desire. She wanted to.

She place her hands on his shoulders and and lifted on her heals and pressed her lips so that their lips were locked. She felt this warm buttery feeling charged with waves of current through her body at the contact.

The show ended pretty soon, much to Annabeth's dismay, as their little kiss had caught the paparazzi's attention and now they were being swarmed by them. Annabeth understood why Percy had not simply announced their engagement. He wanted it to seem real. He wanted all the media's attention on the top celebrity couple gossip and not on his company while it worked on it's new projects with monopoly over the water's of Alliance in its pockets.

Annabeth stared at him. He sure was a clever businessman. Who was going to be her husband. Who had just made her his first kiss.

Annabeth blushed furiously at that thought. She had known Percy only for a week and honestly she had met him only thrice, including the party, in those weeks. But lately she had been thinking a whole lot about him. She was sure that he wasn't gentle and this kiss where there lips had just touched couldn't count as this was his first and Annabeth had kissed boys before.

Percy smiled and motioned for Chris and Frank to keep the paparazzi at a little distance as he would need some space to execute the next step of the plan which I could already imagine in my head. Something which I had wanted someone who would actually love me to do. But Percy seemed way more loyal than Luke. I would try and trust him for a while.

He knelt on his knees and took out a huge box... huge to be a ring box. There was a fifty-carat diamond ring with a platinum band which had small diamonds studded on the upper semi-half. Annabeth smiled at Percy and he smiled back at her.

"Annabeth Chase... Will you marry me?"

There was a moment's pause. Annabeth could still reject Percy. This was her last chance...

"Yes."

This time his eyes glinted a little while he smiled and Annabeth knew that he was happy. She hoped it wasn't only because of the monopoly right. She didn't know how her expression was as she extended her left hand and Percy slipped the ring on her ring finger. The crowd erupted with applause. The paparazzi were getting anxious for a questioning session and were getting out of control to manage.

Percy stood up and instinctively wrapped Annabeth in his arms and kissed the side of her fore-head. He let go as soon as he had held her and tried to make it look natural as he turned to the media. Annabeth knew that the hug and forehead-kiss wasn't in his book of plans. She smiled a little and rubbed her left shoulder which was feeling numb after Percy had hugged her.

Even though she had a chance to say no and get herself free from this contract... why did she say yes?

**What do you think guys? Why did Annabeth say yes? Please tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 5

The week had been hectic. Annabeth was getting more media attention than she needed everywhere she went she could swear that she was being followed by flash less cameras. She avoided Luke as much as she could and tried to stay indoors. Her church marriage was scheduled in a month. She had told Percy that a month was hideously less time for getting prepared for marriage and Percy had so heartlessly pointed out that they were already married.

Then there was Percy and that kiss. She was his first kiss. Does that mean that now he could kiss other girls. Not that it bothered her like _that._ He was married after all!- was all Annabeth could think whenever her brain brought up that subject. Married to a gifted one. Married... married... married...

Just thinking about it for a long time made Annabeth dizzy. She looked around her suite where she had been locked up all day. She stood up and looked outside the window. It was already after sundown. She hurriedly pulled on some shorts and T-shirt and headed towards the door. She thought that if she needed to stay sane till her church marriage, then she ought to take a wake at least inside the hotel.

The back garden of the hotel was a pleasant place to kill time. All those flowers gave it a wonderful and sweet smell. Annabeth had heard that the hotel had a rafflesia plant somewhere and she immediately wanted to see it. Where could people plant the world's largest flower? Annabeth sauntered around the back garden. The hotel had top security (Thanks to Percy) so Annabeth could now move around wherever she wanted without a dozen bodyguards. Even though Thalia would flip if she saw Annabeth without them, she wasn't thinking about her at all. All she could think about was her marriage and rafflesia.

When she walked passed the tool shed, she heard a moan. It was familiar. The type she had heard back in the hospital. She should have left whoever they were to do their thing in peace but Annabeth had a feeling that Luke was in there. He always was when she came across such things. She tiptoed her way towards the wooden door which was locked. But she could see clearly through the cracks as a bulb was lighting the inside of the shed.

The first person I saw was Drew Tanaka. She had her head thrown to one side and her hands tied to the table.

"I have to get inside the President."

Those words made Annabeth look down. Drew was only wearing a white buttoned down shirt. There was someone's head between her legs. Judging from the voice Annabeth knew that it was Luke. Now, any other time she would have turned around and marched up to her room but Luke was saying something about the President, about her.

"I have to get her in my bed. That bastard Ethan thinks I can't!"

Drew just squeezed her eyes and nodded while a moan escaped her lips.

Annabeth turned on her heals and walked away. So this was some stupid kind of bet, she thought. All those sweet words were to lure her in. But Annabeth was too smart for him. Next time she would see him she would surely ask him to do his things behind locked doors.

Annabeth didn't know Luke all that well but she had always admired him from afar in school. Now she wondered why she had wasted all those hours staring at him from her biology class window when he used to play basket ball in the fields. He was a jerk. Now she knew it.

Last time when she had concluded it, she had been in tears. But this time she could almost laugh at his naïve dreams to getting her for his activities. She wondered what had changed? She didn't know. She just didn't want to see Luke anymore.

* * *

Percy paced around his room. He was confused by his actions at the party. He wondered if he had felt so light-headed and happy without any reason before. Scratch that. He wondered whether he had ever felt happy before. Maybe when his parents had taken him to ice-cream city. He was only eight when that had happened and now he was nineteen. It seemed so long ago that the memory was almost blurry.

An angry red-head with low anger control capabilities, according to Percy's close calculations, walked into his room and glared at him with her furious emerald-green eyes. She was dressed casually in a top and a skirt with high-heeled shoes. The colors were the usual one that high society Gifted women wore. Percy was secretly glad that Annabeth wasn't some snobbish Gifted girl but rather a smart and responsible president if he may add that.

He wasn't afraid to show that he was proud of his choice for a bride no matter how much his dad probed him by saying, "But you don't love her!"

He knew love was irrelevant and even if he were one to fall in love, it would much rather be Annabeth than his father's favorite Rachel Elizabeth Dare aka the red-head standing before him.

He stretched his mouth to a much familiar and practiced fake smile. The one he had given Annabeth had felt alien and kind of warm. But after that one time he couldn't just pull it off again. He was still trying to but seeing Rachel wasn't just all that merry.

"Rache! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He said while throwing his arms to his either sides dramatically as if to show his so-called immense pleasure.

"You are engaged! That to, to a blonde headed pig!" that's Rachel for you. Always spews venom but comes right to the point.

But unfortunately for her, Percy felt insulted. It wasn't healthy for people to insult him.

"Pardon Ms. Dare but who are you calling a pig?" His words were icy to even himself. Rachel cringed but snapped back,

"You new fiance. Ms Annabeth Chase."

"Not finace you-" Percy stopped himself before he could participate in Rachel's name calling spree. He didn't want to stoop to her level.

"She is my wife. We are legally married already and soon that too before our public marriage, her legal name would become, President Annabeth Chase Jackson."

Percy was pleased to see Rachel's thunder striken look.

"How could you do this to me?" she tearfully thumped her fists against his chest, ruining his perfect white buttoned down shirt.

He grabbed her wrists then pushed her away.

"What are you saying?" He wasn't confused as to what Rachel had thought about their _friendship _but he was pretty sure that it was time she knew the truth about it.

"We were so close!" the tears were swimming down her face.

"I don't know under what imagination you have been working but I have never even touched you before today." That brought a look of realization to her face which soon morphed into that of pure evil.

"Life isn't going to be easy for her!" She spoke through her teeth.

Before she could leave the room, Rachel found herself pinned to the wall with Percy's hands pushing her shoulders ruthlessly into the wall. She had always wanted Percy this close to her but for kissing her and not for threatening her to death,

"If you so much as lay a finger on my wife's hair you will have to face the wrath of Poseidon's Trident in front of which your dad's company doesn't even exist. I'll make you so alone, so damn alone that you'll beg for death but it won't come to you and in case you are wondering if I am capable of doing that then I'll let you know that I very much am. LEAVE!"

Percy kept glaring at Rachel's back until it disappeared behind his room's double doors. He rubbed his fore-head with the back of his palm. He had promised Annabeth full proof safety. He couldn't let a small fry like Rachel to find a creek in the steel armor that he had given Annabeth. His room's phone rang and pulled him out of his brewing emotions.

"Hello Sir. President Chase wants to get on line with you." Hazel's cool voiced vibrated from the receiver.

"Get her online and Haizy... You can give her my personal number."

Percy could fee; Hazel suppressing a laugh from the other side of the receiver. Finally there was a buzzing sound and a smooth feminine voice greeted Percy,

"Hello?"

The alien smile somehow crept up to his face as he replied,

"Hello Princess."

* * *

Annabeth stood outside the Dear Rose restaurant as she was fifteen minutes early. She was wearing large goggles to partly shield herself from the scorching sun and partly from all those stares she was getting. She was supposed to meet Percy there and discuss their impending wedding ceremony. Annabeth had been super confused about what she should wear. It pained her but she still had to admit that Percy Jackson pulled off anything he wore elegantly. Sadly that was not the case with her.

After an hour of debate with Thalia she had finally found herself wearing a slip baby-blue dress that pressed against her thighs just above her knees with silver flats and a black sun jacket. Her wayward hair was pulled back in a rather neat pony-tail.

To say she was nervous would be an understatement. In reality, Annabeth just wanted to get to know her legal husband more before he fully became her husband. Above all she wanted to get rid of her queasy stomach which occurred whenever she was too close to him. She was sure that she could get rid of it if she became familiar with his presence.

A blonde man walked out of the restaurant entrance and walked past Annabeth. She looked at him and thought of Luke. About how deceitful he was. She had weighed the thought of firing him from her ministry but then her rational self had told her to not let her personal feelings get in the way of her work. A shiny black BMW parked right in front of her.

She knew who it was even before the back seat window glass rolled down and Percy poked his head out. He had identical Raybans on his nose which almost made Annabeth giddy. Almost.

"Hop on Princess!" He whisper shouted, making Annabeth laugh in spite of herself.

"I thought we were having serious wedding planning session in Dear Rose." She replied while making her way towards the already opened door of the car.

"Well, as I have already finished all my meetings early today I thought we could have some fun. Then I realized that I have no definition for it so why not follow yours?"

Annabeth sat down beside him with a careful space between them. She was surprised to see a glowing smile which was lighting his already handsome face. Then they both removed their goggles at the same time. Annabeth looked at Percy and he looked back at her. Her story grey eyes stared at the depths of his aqua ones. And then they both burst out laughing.

It was the first time Annabeth had heard Percy laugh. She had taken him for machine from his soulless attributes but she had to admit that his laugh was the finest and purest one she had ever heard.

"Lead the way Princess!" Percy said while rolling his window up.

Annabeth thought for a moment. What was her idea of fun? All she did now a days was run a country that was filled with two sects of blood thirsty rivals. There was nothing fun she did while she worked. To be honest she had also finished her paper works and meetings fifty minutes early to be able to go out with Percy. Should she consider this a date? This might be one but would Percy agree to it? She looked at him. He looked gorgeous in his black T-shirt and blue jeans. Those were the simplest clothes but of course he pulled them off as latest fashion. She wondered ones again how could someone so good looking could be untouched. Luke wasn't as handsome as Percy was and he was far from being untouched.

A part of her brain reminded her that she was also a virgin and a warm red blush creeped up to her cheeks. She turned her face away so that Percy wouldn't notice. She sighed and decided to do what her yoga teacher had advised he to do whenever she didn't know what to do. She closed her eyes and tried to see what was on her mid.

A pair of sea green eyes smiled at her in the void of darkness. As if those were the only luminous object in her warring dark world. And just like that she knew where she would like to go.

"Do you have private beaches? Let's go to one of those." Annabeth had thought that those eyes belonged to the beach.

A lopsided smirk etched it's way to his cheek as he looked at her in hidden admiration and said, "Actually I have also happen to have a private island. To Sally's Okyanosh, Frank!"

The car smoothly pulled out from in front of the restaurant.

* * *

**If you guys were wondering then Okyanosh is Greek for ocean or something like that. By the way in the next update Percy and Annabeth are going to be alone (spare the body guards) on a private island! Please tell me what you guys think about this one! Enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 6

Percy's private island made Annabeth's heart flip. It was surrounded by the bluest waters of the Atlantic ocean. The beaches had white, fine sand and the wave-less water was calm and blue. The most beautiful thing was that the color of the ocean was an exact replica of Percy's eye color and their depths were too. After all, Percy Jackson was as mysterious as the ocean surrounding Sally's Okyanosh. Okyanosh was Greek for ocean. So in other words, Annabeth was standing on Sally's Ocean. Sally Jackson. Percy's deceased mother.

Annabeth made a mental note not to bring that up. She wasn't afraid that Percy would get mad or anything, she just wanted everything to go all happy and jolly. Annabeth found herself staring at Percy when he emerged from a studio in only swim shorts. His broad, toned and tanned chest made Annabeth drool. Well almost. Once upon a time (when she was in school), Annabeth's teacher had told her that all the guys who looked good were heart breakers. Annabeth had believed her and had always followed that notion. But she had never found anyone who she could classify as handsome!

But now, seeing Percy like that, filled her nonexistent quotas of handsome guys. Percy caught her looking and Annabeth immediately averted her eyes to look pointedly at the flourishing mangrove vegetation.

Percy smirked and said, "You want to surf in the ocean in these clothes? Not that those aren't good but..."

It was Percy's turn to look away. It made Annabeth grin as she nodded and went inside the studio. Everything in there was sharp to the point. There were full body swimsuit and Annabeth decided to choose from them. There were about twenty of stalls for all kind of beach related clothing in Percy's studio. The walls were mainly glasses from which you could see outside but you couldn't see what's going on inside from out in the beach. The ceiling was high up with air filters and there were pots of aloe-veras in all the four corners.

As she passed the two piece rack, a blue swimsuit caught her attention. It was just a bikini and thong but the color wasn't exactly blue... It was greenish-blue, like her fiance's eyes. Well, it wasn't the exact same color, but it was close. Annabeth quickly stripped out of her blue gown and put the two piece on. There was a mirror behind the raincoat rack. Annabeth stood before it and checked herself out. Her long, tanned legs were fully exposed and so was her flat belly. She decided to let her hair down. They might curtain some of her skin after all.

She walked out of the studio and found Percy fiddling with his phone.

"I thought all your office work for today was over." Annabeth commented as she walked out on the warm sand. Percy looked up, his mouth open to answer her back but his jaws dropped when he saw her. That made Annabeth laugh internally but on the outside, she just looked at him with one eyebrow up. Then Percy looked her up or as Thalia would have described: _checked_ her out, from her toes to her head. Whenever some other guys had _checked_ her out in the past, Annabeth had always felt uncomfortable and touched in a bad way but it was not the case with Percy. Seeing his cheeks brighten up like that on _checking_ her out made her laugh. She caught her stomach and laughed because he looked so utterly cute! Like a red cheeked cute smile with aqua eyes.

"You just surprised me!" Percy said in his defence. That made Annabeth laugh harder. To be honest, back in the party she was counting the number of girls who were throwing themselves on him and the number was a good and solid 'every women' except for Bianca, Hazel(his cousins) and Reyna (Prime minister of Republic of Jupiter) and Piper (Jason's girlfriend). The last two were busy with his blonde cousin. Even if they were wearing dresses that covered only their initials (like a certain red-head that Annabeth didn't know of), Percy wasn't sparing them much of a glance. Annabeth wondered if he had checked her out in the party from afar.

"Do you know how to surf Princess?" Percy asked once Annabeth had calmed down and was only giggling.

"I'll try." Annabeth said between bursts of silly laughs.

Percy had already had two surf boards pitched to the shore. He ran up and pulled out the one with blue and white geometric patterns. The words "_ Y" _were etched in calligraphy on the board. Annabth got the pink one with red flowers on it. Typical of a guy to think that girls love pink. She picked up her nose and was determined to outshine Percy on the waves even though this was her first time surfing. She had read about it in books to have a vague idea about it. Rest she would settle on the waves. But there was one single problem. Where were the waves?

"But the waters are so calm Percy." She said while dragging her board along.

Percy smirked again and turned so suddenly that Annabeth bumped into his chest. His chest was hard and warm she concluded.

Percy fished a remote out of his swim-short's pocket and pointed it towards the ocean. Annabeth watched curiously as he said,

"It has the artificial wave generator. It's one of Trident's gadget. It's super costly so many people don't quite have it. But then we manufactured it. Want low, medium or high waves?" The last part of his sentence was for Annabeth to answer. She wanted low waves. But then it was obvious that Percy thought of her as a stupid blondie from the pink board. Yet going on high waved could be dangerous because she knew without saying that this gadget covered all of Sally's Okyanosh's water. Whose radius is quite long too.

"Medium." That was the best option according to her.

"Okay then." Percy inserted some codes and pressed a big yellow button and a waves started rippling the calm ocean surface.

"Come on!" Percy shouted over the loud waves as he ran towards them with his surf board. He rode the waves like he owned them and Annabeth knew that she could be as good as him if she surfs all her life for the next thirty years. At least she wont make a fool out of herself because even though the waves were high, she had seen bigger ones on television. She sucked in a deep breath and charged towards the water.

It was a disaster. She couldn't even stand on her knees as the waves rocked her surf-board and engulfed her. Annabeth was under the waters in a second. She knew how to swim but it was useless because the wave generator was changing the water currents in quite a flurry. Only a fish could swim in this water. Annabeth knew that someday her pride was going to get her killed, she just didn't know that the day would come so soon. As a last desperate attempt to survive, Annabeth stretched her right hand out. The water pressure was building against her body as she was sinking further and further in and she was fighting her urge to oven her mouth or to breathe in as she was loosing oxygen rapidly.

Two strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind and pulled her along as the person to whom those arms belonged surged upwards and towards the wavy surface. The waves were still there as Annabeth was dragged and gently placed on warm sand. She hadn't realized that the water was cold until that moment. She wanted to shiver but she was busy choking up with frantic coughs.

"Are you mad! Why didn't you tell me if you didn't know how to surf?" Annabeth looked up and was surprised to see Percy on his knees beside her with his eye swirling with unknown emotions.

"I told you I would try." Annabeth managed weakly.

"I didn't know you were so... I don't even know why you did that. Dying under waves is a pretty pathetic way to go Princess."

Annabeth shook her head and sat up. Not noticing the the way their noses were almost touching when she spoke,

"I thought I could do it. I really want to surf like all the cool kids from high school."

Percy's eyes dropped to her lips for a heartbeat but then they were back on her eyes as he said, "Come on up! I'll show you how to surf."

Annabeth pretended to be unaffected by the way Percy's fingers were laced with hers as he was dragging her towards his surf board. Annabeth was surprised by the fact that she wasn't electrocuted yet.

* * *

Percy had set the waves to a low-level and Annabeth was trying to stand with her arms stretched to both her sides for balance. The most distracting things were Percy's smooth voice just above her ears and his warm breath hitting her bare shoulder and his occasional light fingers which rectified her posture from time to time.

Percy had adjusted the water so that it was warm for her. This was an ideal surfing lesion anybody could ask for ,that too with a hot instructor, as per Annabeth.

"Don't close your eyes and shift a bit like this for going higher." Percy's fingers lightly rested on her hips. That made Annabeth blush so hard that she was glad that Percy was standing behind her. Annabeth wondered if this was a real date for Percy. Because it was real for her. She closed her eyes despite Percy's instruction and diverted all her attention towards the prickly warm finger tips on her hips.

She should have listened to Percy when he had advised her to not close her eyes. The surfboard rattled and Annabeth spun around, completely forgetting about keeping her arms stretched on either sides for balance. A small shriek escaped from her lips as the surfboard shook.

"Hey! It's alright! Stand still." Percy's voice came through the waves as he wrapped his hands around Annabeth's waist and balanced the surfboard. When the board was somewhat not going to fall off again, Annabeth opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes were on the same level with Percy's lips as his hands were tightly embracing her bare waist and her palms were resting firmly on his broad, bare chest. Her eyes lifted to Percy's in the same moment his eyes shifted from her lips to Annabeth's eyes.

At that moment, Annabeth could think about nothing else but the feeling and taste of Percy's lips and maybe his tongue. She leaned in at the same time Percy leaned down. Their lips met halfway, sending flares of lightning and troops of butterflies through Annabeth's chest and stomach. At first, their lips only touched but then Percy kissed her very carefully. Annabeth knew that Percy wasn't so experienced with kissing so when she got the chance, she let her tongue explore his mouth. His lips were salty in the best possible way, somewhat like the ocean and just like she had drowned a few minutes ago, she was drowning in his heavily charged kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers knotting in his messy-wind-blown raven black hair as she let him explore her mouth. It was like she was trying to swallow something hot and salty down her already burning neck. Percy's hands slid down and stopped just below her butt as he lifted her up to his head's level and kissed her with all the heat he could muster at that moment. Annabeth pushed his neck further towards her to feel more of him, to conduct more of his electricity.

But they had forgotten that they were still on a surfboard on a wave no matter how much low it was. The wave came down and so did the kissing couple. It tossed them into the beach, breaking them apart. Annabeth landed on top of Percy and winced as her forehead hit Percy's and salty water sprayed on top of them. Annabeth opened her eyes and gazed down at her gorgeous fiance's face. His eyes were crinkling as he was barely able to suppress his laughter. Annabeth initiated the laugh and it's contagious viruses dragged Percy along with it. She got up, still laughing, and offered Percy her hand which he took, gladly, in his. She pulled Percy up as her stomach growled. Her already flushed cheeks turned redder as it made Percy double up with laughter.

"Can you cook?" Percy asked after he calmed down.

Annabeth could have sworn that Percy hadn't laughed so much in a long time. His laughing face was the most handsome thing she had ever witnessed. She wanted him to laugh forever just so that she could hear it and watch him laughing for ever. But Annabeth knew nothing about cooking so she looked down, embarrassed and shook her head and said,

"Unless you want to eat instant noodles."

Percy made a face and turned around walked towards another building that looked like a summer house. Annabeth caught up with him near the front steps to the red and yellow house. Percy stopped there for a second. Annabeth was about to ask about what they were going to eat when Percy surprised her with a kiss on her neck, then he quickly moved stepped into the building through the automatic glass doors after saying,

"Come on Princess!"

Annabeth couldn't move. She was nailed to that spot with wide open eyes. There was something she understood though. Those butterflies in her stomach meant she liked Percy. And the electricity his proximity generated, meant that she more than liked him.

She still had to figure out what was more than like.

* * *

Luke enjoyed the view from above as the dark haired girl's back arched up to him. He was having a hard time. He had bet about twenty-five million drachma (currency of Alliance Republic). If he couldn't manage to lure President Chase to his bed he would have to pay the sum.

The girl beneath him opened her electric blue eyes and groaned before saying, "Annabeth would be back soon."

Luke bent down and gave her lips a hard kiss. If Annabeth wouldn't come to him, then he would make her jealous and use her best-friend.

"I am going to tell her... about us." Thalia managed before moaning uncontrollably.

Luke chuckled as he nodded. After all that was exactly what he wanted.

**How was this chapter guys? Tell me if it was good or it sucked!**


	8. AN

**Sorry guys I can only afford to complete one story at a time now and I want to finish the Bleeding hearts first. So until next time.**


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